A Beacon of Hope and Unity in the Middle East

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Who says there is no hope for peace in the Middle East? Here's a very heartening development, as bitter enemies reach across the divide to join hands in a common cause. Surely such faith-filled cooperation between the "People of the Book," the "Children of Abraham," the "Fanatical Devotees of a Bronze Age Sky-God Cult" will be the way forward from the current hell of war and strife, leading the world into a new earthly paradise where human beings are not allowed to seek warmth, affection, contact and pleasure from one another, except in the severely restricted circumstances dictated by fanatical devotees of a Bronze-Age Sky-God cult. (The picture at right shows some good godly folk setting fires in the streets, offering up the fragrant aroma of, er, cardboard boxes and wooden crates to pleasure the nostrils of the Most High God.)

Of course, those other People of the Bookers â€“ the Bush-Base American Christianites who have made sexuality the great, throbbing focus of their heated, panting faith â€“ should also be standing shoulder-to-shoulder, cheek-by-jowl, arm-in-arm, thigh-pressed-firmly-but-chastely-to-thigh with their fellow Sky-God cultists in Jerusalem. Perhaps they could send a representative to the protests, some prominent figure of great spiritual power and high political connections, to show that America stands with the rabbis and mullahs in the holy crusade against warmth, affection, contact and pleasure.

Hey, how about that Ted Haggard to lead the delegation? We hear he's at loose ends these days. As it were.

Jews and Muslims in Jerusalem have found common ground in their fierce
opposition to a gay rights rally due to be held in the city this week.
Ultra-orthodox Jews burn rubbish yesterday during a protest against the
rally in Jerusalem in support of homosexualsâ€™ rights

Leaders from both faiths have united to denounce the parade, which has
prompted nights of street protest by ultra-orthodox Jews, who regard
homosexuality as an "abomination", and death threats against those
taking part. After Israeli police found and defused a bomb bearing the
message "sodomites out", orders were given for 12,000 officers to
deploy across Jerusalem during the march, which is planned for Friday...

The city's Islamic leadership is opposed to the parade, with Tayseer
Tamimi, the head of the Palestinian supreme council of Sharia
litigation, leading Muslim opposition. "This march tries to destroy the
moral and spiritual values for youths," he said. "All religions
discredit gays because it is against the decent human nature created by
God."...

"This isn't the gay pride parade but the disgrace parade," said Yaakov
Cohen, an MP from the United Torah Judaism party. Ben Yizri, an MP for
the ultra-orthodox Shas party, part of Israel's ruling coalition, said:
"We believe God will be very upset."

UPDATE: Well, the rabbis and mullahs got their way (along with the Pope,
who, afraid of being left behind in the intolerance sweepstakes, hiked
up his skirts and came out, as it were, to denounce the perverts as
well). There was no march of homosexuals through the streets of the
holy city to cause those strange tinglings in the he-manly faithful.
Instead, the event was converted, as it were, into a indoor rally held
today in a "sterile government district" two miles out of town,
surrounded by 3,000 police officers, with the usual minatory helicopter
swooping overhead, the Guardian reports. Some 5,000 people attended:
"the majority of the crowd were straight, and had come to express their
solidarity with the gay community and their opposition to the religious
right in Israel." More here: Gay Rally in Jerusalem Held Under Tight Security (Guardian).